Opposition Members of Parliament are urging Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration to disclose the documentation governing three specialized agencies established to oversee substantial budgets for significant projects, defense acquisitions, and the development of affordable housing.
Don Davies, interim Leader of the New Democratic Party, emphasized the importance of transparency regarding the operational guidelines of these new agencies, expressing concern over the lack of public disclosure. Davies underscored the anticipated significant financial transactions that these entities will manage, stressing the historical practice of publicizing the framework agreements that dictate their operations.
Bloc Québécois critic for supply and government operations, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, echoed the call for transparency, criticizing the government’s penchant for secrecy with the establishment of new agencies and its reluctance to unveil their operational protocols.
Andrew Scheer, Conservative House leader, joined the chorus of disapproval, highlighting the government’s recurrent opacity in implementing new initiatives that impact Canadians without adequate transparency or accountability.
The demand for public access to the governance documents of the Major Projects Office, the Defence Investment Agency, and Build Canada Homes follows reports by CBC News revealing the government’s withholding of framework agreements and business plans for these agencies.
The government contends that these specialized agencies offer enhanced flexibility and speed in operational processes, despite being housed within government departments and subject to similar regulations while benefiting from exceptions outlined in their framework agreements.
Although Treasury Board guidelines in the late 1990s stressed the accountability of special operating agencies through public access to their framework agreements, recent attempts by CBC News to obtain these documents proved unsuccessful.
While Public Services and Procurement Canada acknowledged the existence and approval of the Defence Investment Agency’s framework agreement and business plan by the Treasury Board, it maintained that these documents are confidential. The Privy Council and the Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Department have not yet provided copies of the frameworks for the Major Projects Office and Build Canada Homes, respectively.
Critics like Davies expressed alarm over the lack of transparency in the early stages of these agencies’ establishment, cautioning against practices that inhibit public scrutiny of government spending. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre’s office also raised concerns about the secrecy surrounding the agencies’ operations and the potential implications for accountability and public trust.
Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher denounced the government’s secrecy, arguing that withholding key startup records of new agencies violates federal open government laws and undermines democratic principles by impeding public oversight and fostering potential misuse of public funds and corruption.
